Who's Pesto The Penguin? Memes About The 'Absolute Unit' Of A Baby King Penguin Explained

A baby penguin named Pesto is the biggest, and arguably the sweetest. king penguin chick that the Australian Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium has ever had.

Pesto is a baby boy penguin who's viral at the moment on TikTok, Instagram and Twitter / X, among other social media sites. He's brown and fluffy, and already larger than his parents. He's not even a year old.

Need more information about Pesto the Penguin? How did he become such a viral sensation? What are some Pesto the Penguin memes? Let's explain.

Where Is Pesto The Penguin From?

Pesto the Penguin lives at the Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium in Melbourne, Australia. The aquarium has a well-documented presence on both Instagram and TikTok where they post many videos and photos of the penguin habitat.

Of course, there are plenty of other sea animals at the center, but Pesto's home is the most noteworthy.

How Old Is Pesto The Penguin?

Pesto is not even a year old yet. He's only been around for nine months to be exact. In the beginning, he was just a little chick, although, a noticeably large little chick. His first weigh-in clocked him at 9 kilograms (roughly 19 pounds) back in April.

When's Pesto The Penguin's Birthday?

Pesto was born on January 30th, 2024, according to an Instagram post from the aquarium's page.

How Much Does Pesto The Penguin Weigh?

As of late September 2024, Pesto weighs a whopping 21 kilograms (roughly 46 pounds), according to the aquarium's website.

His weight makes him the largest king penguin chick on record at the aquarium. He's reportedly larger than most of the adults already and will likely grow much bigger, especially if he keeps eating 25 fish a day.

How Did Pesto The Penguin Go Viral?

Pesto went viral when the aquarium shared a Reel to Instagram in July in collaboration with the Australian news network the Herald Sun. The video laid out Pesto's story thus far, including footage of him walking around with all of the other chicks. It amassed over 200,000 likes.

A month later, Pesto went viral again when the aquarium posted his gender reveal party to TikTok. There, he received a similar amount of likes, directly spawning memes that were created by others on the app in the following weeks.

What Are Some Pesto The Penguin Memes?

Pesto the Penguin memes mostly joke about how big he is. The term "Absolute Unit" is being tossed around in viral Pesto discourse. Songs like "I'm the Biggest Bird" also capture the essence of Pesto's meme fame.

Also, Pesto is trending at the same time as another viral animal — Moo-Deng the baby hippo. In turn, the two are being thrown into memes together, often powerscaled or paired in fan art and videos.

For the full history of Pesto the Penguin, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's entry for even more information.